With ACTA being proposed a few years ago, and with its recent return in style, many in Bulgaria and Poland have protested against it, demanding that their rights be upheld. In the younger generations, the need for information is greater than ever before; with countries finding it almost impossible to put a cap on this free-flowing information. With Wikileaks relying on this deregulated internet, any attempt to put a plug on it, will quite passionately be met with criticism and outcries.

It would appear as though the threat of intellectual property just doesn’t cut it with individuals these days. There are many countries around the world who believe that there are more important issues than intellectual property theft, such as the downloading of music and movies. Russia, for instance, is a country that suffers from high amounts of corruption and poverty, and has therefore never prioritised the prosecuting of alleged pirates. China is another country that believes that intellectual property theft just isn’t a “big concern”, and right they may be.

With the rise of AllOfMP3 in the 1990s, to early 2000s, Russia seemed quite reluctant in shutting down the website, due to them operating under a valid license in Russia that Russian radio stations utilise. This of course didn’t chime well with the authorities in the United States, who eventually began threatening Russia with political threats; by threatening to affect Russia’s application to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which they are now in. People suspect that this entry into the World Trade Organization has come with many stipulations, such as demanding that Russia clean up its appalling record on prosecuring suspected pirates, and closing down websites which, allegedly, breach copyright laws worldwide.

The big concerns come from the United States, where the common phrase for trying to implement acts such as PIPA and SOPA has been “protecting American jobs”. However, the case of “protecting children” has of course been another one. The trouble is, when you introduce the infrastructure to remove websites from the internet, then where does it stop? After all, for many years Wikileaks has been a thorn in the back of the United States government and its agencies, such as the FBI an CIA. If the infrastructure is there to remove such offending websites from the internet, then would the order be brought to the table? It’s difficult to imagine how such a possibility would be rejected in the interest of “internet freedom”.

There are many ideas floating around as to handle the problem of piracy globally. Steam itself have developed a fantastic way to combat piracy, and have reported an overwhelming success in the Russian and Chinese markets, by providing a service that allows people to easily take what they would like, for a minimal cost. If you can provide a much better service than that which the pirates can provide, then people don’t mind paying a little money for this. Whilst people will steal take things for free, it’s a question of, “how much money does one need?”. In the 1980′s and 1990′s, the media distributors of our time have been legally scamming people, by selling CDs for as much as 20 dollars per CD! And the same for VHS tapes and DVDs. Sadly their days are coming to an end, but of course nobody would let go of such a grasp on the market THAT easily, and therefore I believe what we are seeing today is the dying industry, attempting to keep ahold of the glory days of the past; and being so narrowminded as not being willing to adapt to a new business model.

http://www.geekadda.com/ is a community devoted to opinionated articles and factual information relating to technology.

Criminal defense attorneys focus solely on legal issues that involve an arrest, criminal investigation, the declaration and pursuance of criminal charges, and the potential process for trial or negotiation over an event of the past or present. It is important to note that a person who is “arrested” is not necessarily guilty of anything, just under suspicion of a potential crime. In fact, the initial arrest is usually what leads someone to hire a lawyer. Whether you are innocent or guilty, an arrest means that there will be an investigation and possibly a trial. Hiring an attorney, then, ensures that you have someone on your side fighting for your best interests.

Indeed, this is the main reason why you should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney. If you are innocent, then you definitely need someone who understands the legal system and the intricate workings of court proceedings. A good lawyer can more effectively seek out and produce the evidence and witness statements you need to prove your innocence. On the other hand, if you are guilty or involved with the crime in some way, a good lawyer can present you with options for negotiating your sentence in order to minimize the negative effects of a guilty verdict.

It is important for you to know that it is not the job of a criminal defense attorney to discern an opinion regarding guilt or innocence. When you request the services of a lawyer, it is their job to determine if your recount of the incident shows that you followed the law to the best of your knowledge and to negotiate for leeway regarding potential consequences. For instance, you might be a victim of circumstance or perhaps were ignorant of a particular law or regulation; it is their job to demonstrate that you had no malicious intent to break the law and are therefore subject to a minimum penalty or perhaps something like probation.

Sometimes, though, you do know what the laws are and might exhibit behavior that disregards them. Again, the job of a criminal defense attorney is to try to minimize your consequences while satisfying the requirements of the law. Most of the time, you can walk away with probation or a sentence that requires a special class while avoiding jail time if you are a first time offender. Obviously, there are fewer options available if you seem to keep returning to court.

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Pirated goods are not always easy to spot in terms of appearance or even quality but are significantly cheaper than the genuine product. In Bangkok alone, pirated products are sold across 10 major sites and are available to foreign tourists in centres such as Chiang Mai and Had Yai.

CDs, DVDs, toys, computer software, electrical appliances, brand-name clothing and cosmetics, watches and mobile phones are among the most popular counterfeit products.

Tackling the trade

Recent changes to Thailand law have brought this south-east Asian hub in line with most international IP standards.

Thai law firm BSA Law has advised there are legal measures in place to protect intellectual property in Thailand. The experienced international law firm in Thailand advises clients to:

- Register trademarks early. This provides legal protection against infringements and counterfeits. Under Thailand law foreign trademarks may be recognised but registering in Thailand improves legal protection and gives a greater chance of taking legal action against piracy;

- A patent application can be made to protect a range of inventions. The Thai legal service advises that Thailand joined more than 140 nations in becoming a signatory to the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 2009;

- Thai law’s copyright protection extends to literary work, software, music, sound recordings, dramatic works, architectural works and motion pictures. The Thai law consulting firm advises that efforts are underway to amend the Copyright Act, including measures to address digital copyright.

Enforcement and public awareness

Aside from fast legal action (using the services of a law firm in Thailand) to curb any IP breaches, public awareness and tougher policing are critical to the anti-piracy fight.

In August 2011 the Economic Crime division and the Department of Intellectual Property called for public assistance in clamping down on illegal recordings in movie theatres.

Under Thailand law this offence carries a maximum fine of 800,000 Thai Baht or up to four years jail.

Victims must ‘act fast’

According to the US Embassy in Thailand the best way to address any intellectual property breaches is to take legal action – and fast.

It says that intellectual property rights infringement is generally treated as a criminal offence under Thailand law and that penalties can range from fines to imprisonment.

While civil action can be taken and may be effective in obtaining an interim or permanent injunction, the embassy advises that the burden of proof for damages is higher than in the US.

Appointing a legal service in Thailand (many Thailand lawyers have considerable IP experience) will be necessary before taking legal action. They can also handle trademark and patent applications, which can take over a year to process.

The high piracy trade in Thailand has dampened foreign business investment in Thailand, but immediate legal action against infringements will not only protect your IP rights but will also deter counterfeiters.

BSA Law has focused on providing reliable thai Law consulting and services to the business community in Thailand for nearly 30 years.Find out more about Law firm in Thailand at http://www.bsalaw.co.th.